


&

by SatanicAsch



Series: And Universe [1]
Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: A mix of various sonic continuities, AU - Ginjika Characters, Different ending., Gen, Gun Violence, I like to imagine the Mobians kinda like the Faunus from RWBY, If this goes well Ill do more of the games, Ill try to stay as true to character as i can, Missing Scenes, PTSD, Pretty much same everything else tho, Psychological Trauma, Shadow POV, Shadow and Rouge brOTP for life, a gen fic bc all fandoms can use more of them, humanized / ginjika characters, pretty much the whole SA2B gang
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-04-07 12:52:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19085434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SatanicAsch/pseuds/SatanicAsch
Summary: * SA2B Rewrite with some changes.Consciousness was unwanted.Upon crashing, GUN had immediately beset him and he’d been shoved into another cryo-chamber. It’d been so long since Shadow had been forced into something like that. The ARK’s was far more advanced. ARK didn’t let him dream.GUN did.





	1. PROLOGUE : Life Up Here.

**Author's Note:**

> Howdy! So I'm very excited to present my first Sonic fanfic. Which is weird, because I've been in the fandom since I was seven, and am now twenty-two.
> 
> A few World notes; 
> 
> Mobian's aren't anthro-animals here. Rather, more similar to the Faunus from RWBY. Humans with animal traits and animal abilities. I thought it would be a fun concept. The story will be adjusted for this appropriately. 
> 
> This is a very lazy drawing on how I imagine this AU's Shadow post-ARK ; https://gyazo.com/6d393b8eb344a4fc98a7675a9d3a584b  
> Though feel free to mentally imprint your favorite humanized design! As for this fic, I describe his hands/forearms as shadowy to denote some Black Arms traits onto him and give him a reason to be wearing long sleeves and gloves. 
> 
> Another is I've changed some dialogue that... Didn't age very well lol. If you all have any questions please feel free to ask! As well as suggestions are welcomed.

Consciousness was a fleeting sensation. Life floating away and back at the will of needles and gas. A perpetual cycle of being awake to be prodded and poked, or to be asleep and suffer the same. He preferred being asleep. It was less… Uncomfortable.

 

Shadow was told his sacrifice meant something multiple times by the human man in charge of him. But he didn’t know what he was sacrificing. He was awake to be examined, alive to be tested. It was his normal, and he didn’t have enough thought to mind it.

 

Experimentation was familiar, and simple enough. Sit still and allow the humans in their white coats to do whatever. When he was not needed, stasis was his other option. The brisk tube was as well-known to him as the exam room, his table. He knew few things. One; the Doctor called him Shadow, and thus it was his name. Two; he was here to assist the humans and for nothing else.

 

His routine was all he knew.

 

Today… Today was different. Shadow cautiously stepped out of his stasis chamber, looking around the room for the scientists that overlooked his awakenings. In fact, everything seemed to be out of place. No lights were on, the only source being a glowing red exit sign and the subtle brightness of his markings.

 

The tile floor was cold against his bare feet, he almost wanted to wait inside of the tube for a worker to come and collect him, maybe even the Doctor himself.

 

But the burning curiosity drew him outwards, now padding across the room, pace slow, towards the door. Perhaps this was a test? And he was meant to begin moving himself to and from his stasis room to the examination room?

 

It took him a second to figure out the door handle, having never used one before. His intellect processed the task before he could natively learn it. Already carrying him through walking, wobbling for a few seconds before it became easy, simple, thoughtless.  

 

The hallway was empty and dark, just like his room. He could hear through the walls, the shuffling of the humans as they rushed around.

 

The next door didn’t go as well as the first on, accidentally ripping it off the hinges. Unsure of what to do, he left it on the floor and continued to look for the Exam Room.

 

Several broken doors later, Shadow found himself in a new area. Rather than his tile floors and white walls, this dwelling has bright carpets and walls. He could make out the color in the utter blackness by its sheer vibrancy.

 

“Hah-.”, Shadow startled to attention, distracted from the feeling of carpet beneath his feet to listen for humans.

 

He whipped his head around to the sound, arms and claws tensing out of what was likely a natural instinct. As natural as someone born from a test tube could have.

 

In the far end of the room, laid a table, not unlike the ones he spent his days on. Cold and clinical looking, yet the added pillows and stickers gave it strange warmth that he lacked. An IV rig lay knocked over next to it. Curiosity stirred again, and he stepped over, careful of the many plush figures on the floor. His eye-sight now adjusted to the blackness, leaving him able to navigate better than intuition alone.

 

Peering over the gurney, Shadow reached out a clawed hand and poked at the figure lying within. They barely moved, their skin cold against his.

 

“Hah- Hello?”, They turned toward him, gasping. Hazy blue eyes meet his red, before looking away to his markings.

 

“...Hello…”, Shadow responded back. Talking wasn’t encouraged in examination, though, the Doctor enjoyed it when he spoke.

 

The figure struggled for a moment, and he wasn’t quite sure what to be doing. The whole day had been… Different. Not necessarily bad. The exploration satisfied an itch within his mind, one he hadn’t quite known was there.

 

“Can- can you help me?”, They asked, and Shadow noticed their voice was very squeaky, even if it was nothing much more than a hoarse whisper. Higher than any other voice he’d ever heard.

 

“How?”, He asks, not desperately or dramatically, rather just honestly curious. Why did she need help?

 

“Ah-A. Air. It’s- The mask, I need the- Then turn the… Knob underneath the bed…”, Whomever this was, was very lucky he had fair beyond human hearing. So quiet.

 

Though, he did so. Lamely placing the oxygen mask over their face and moderating his strength while turning the metal knob beneath the gurney. The hiss was almost too much for him in the muted room.

 

The human gasped loudly, clearly relieved at the rush of air they were able to get. A small spark in his chest from completing the task, why was that?

 

“Thank you.”, They smiled, now moving to sit up slightly. Taking a moment to look Shadow up in down. “So, you are what Grandpa had been working on.”

 

“...The Doctor?”

 

“Mhm. Grandpa. Oh! My name is Maria.”, Maria, now no longer dying of suffocation, sat up fully, leaning towards Shadow.

 

Shadow’s head cocked to the side, like a puppy.

 

“It’s my name. Maria. What’s yours?”

 

“...Shadow.”

 

“It’s nice to meet you, Shadow.”, She fastened the strap on her oxygen mask, fitting it carefully on her face. “You’re much less scary than I imagined you being. Grandpa’s other experiments have been awfully frightening.”

 

Shadow was unsure how to answer, never having been required to talk for such a long time before. Nor was he aware he wasn’t the only experiment. The scientists all seemed too busy with him to possibly have another project.

 

“Would you mind grabbing me a blanket, Shadow?”, She felt little to no remorse for asking her Grandpa’s Ultimate Lifeform to fetch a blanket for her. Maria could only hope that the scientist and engineers would get the power and atmosphere back up and running before the pressure of space killed them all.

 

“... A blanket…?”, He looked puzzled, feeling very much out of his element.

 

“There is one on the couch, it’s a soft piece of fabric that’s big enough to cover a person.”

 

He did as asked, locating a fluffy sheet with big-eyed characters printed on it, and walked it back to Maria.

 

“Thank you. You’re very nice, you know?”, Maria remarked offhandedly, wrapping the blanket around herself to stave off the harsh chill.

 

“...”, Shadow said nothing back, awkwardly standing around.

 

The next few moments passed in silence, there wasn’t much to do in the dark, even less without proper power. Maria looked at her silent companion. She had a vague idea of her Grandpa’s plans. That’s why she was even up here, aboard the ARK with him. He meant to cure her, and Shadow was one of those projects. Funded by the government, in an attempt to create immortality, the Ultimate Lifeform.

 

In a sense, she played her own part in the project. Though, seeing the lanky boy who appeared to be thinking so hard he might set fire, Maria couldn’t understand why Abraham was so anxious about this particular experiment.

 

The prototype she’d seen had been a far cry scarier.

 

“Shadow?”, Maria spoke up, startling the boy out of his thoughts. “Is it okay for you to be outside of the lab for so long?”

 

She enjoyed the silent company, especially with the oppressive darkness, but thinking about the prototype… It couldn’t be left, and require life support. Would Shadow destabilize?

 

“I… I am not sure.”, He responded, looking at her. The soft glow of his markings the only light in the room.

 

“Do you feel bad, or different?”

 

“No. I don’t think so. I feel how I always feel.”

 

“Well, that’s better than bad. Unless you feel bad all the time, that is!”

 

Shadow looked at her like she was speaking Greek, a language that was probably already programmed into his cortex. Her grandpa had boasted about how smart this one was, but it was clear he could use some exposure to… Everything.

 

Looking around, she spotted one of her chess sets. It would probably be hard to play in the dark, but her companion produced his own light…

 

“Shadow? Would you like to play a game with me?”

 

.

.

.

 

By the time the lights flickered back on, Shadow had already defeated her five times. She had a head start, with actually knowing how to play, but eventually, he picked up on it and it was all over. Maria couldn’t compete with the Ultimate Lifeform.

 

“Ughhhh.”, She complained loudly, resetting the board for the two of them. Taking her sixth defeat.

 

“Perhaps we’ve played enough today. The power is back on now.”

 

“Now I had the advantage of being able to see! You’ll be no match for me!”

 

“But I can see also?”, Shadow moved a pawn, half-laying on her gurney. Feeling the most relaxed he’d felt in his entire existence.

 

“No match!”

 

She loses again. The good-natured frustration, and antics as her trumps her King startled a noise out of him. He covers his mouth with a clawed hand.

 

“Daw, you laughed!”, Maria points at him, finger prodding his cheek. “And it’s at my expense! How horrible, Shadow!”

 

“You did not protect your King well enough.”

 

“It’s not fairrrrr. You’re not even, what, a month old, and you can already beat me at Chess? I even beat Grandpa.”

 

“Hmm.”, Shadow ignored her complains, already accustomed to it in the few hours he’d known Maria. He enjoyed this. It was preferable to his time in the lab.

 

Meanwhile, Gerald Robotnik stood just outside his granddaughter’s room, looking in as they reset the board one more time.

 

His concern melted away at the sight of his creation lounging peacefully while humor Maria game after game. Perhaps this was for the best. For Shadow to develop his own persona, and pick what alignment he would fall too.

 

And Gerald could only hope Shadow sided with Earth. They would need it. Humanity would be a hard thing to protect.

 

___

 

To his surprise, Shadow was regularly allowed to spend time with Maria. Rather than stasis, he would go to her. Maria’s room became Maria & Shadow’s room. His own bed, his own entertainment. Clothes, even if they were just a re-purposed U.F. Uniform, were much more comfortable than his pale hospital gown. They even granted him gloves, simple and white, to cover his shadow-y hands. Though, he didn’t wear them at all times.

 

Laying in his bed, he idly read a book on Earth fauna. Maria would constantly go on and on about the planet she hailed from, and the interest had transferred to Shadow. Together, they had amassed an expansive library of Earth Knowledge that would rival the research library aboard the ARK.

 

“Hey Shadow, do you wanna play a board game?”, Maria piped up, blonde hair barely visible as she sat on the floor, already setting up whatever she wanted to do before he answered.

 

Without a word, he closed the book and meet her on the floor.

 

“You’ll love it!”

 

“What is… Monopoly?”

 

___

 

“Shadow! Wanna try hot chocolate? Grandpa made some!”

 

“What?”

 

“It’s really good, I promise!”

 

___

 

“Who was that boy, earlier?”

 

“Oh, Abraham! We’re friends.”

 

“He seemed to dislike me.”

 

“He’s just a scaredy cat. Sorry, he didn’t let you play with us.”

 

“No, it’s alright.”

 

___

 

“Do you always have to play behind the screen?”

 

“...Yeah.”

 

It was odd for Maria to sound so forlorn. He’d been so used with whimsical personality.

 

“Why?”

 

“I’m sick, and I don’t wanna get anyone else sick. Grandpa is trying to make me better.”

 

“Oh.”

 

___

 

He learns Gerald’s purpose for him after Maria collapses one day. He’d been in testing, the Doctor making him a sort of “limiter” to prevent the loss of any more doors aboard the ARK. He had more raw Chaos energy burning through him than any documented creature alive.

 

Up until now, Shadow had no questions for why he was being tested or experimented on. Maria was often subjected to needles and tests as well, though less than himself. He assumed it was normal.

 

Opening the door, saying his usual greeting before flopping onto his bed. No answer back. No “Hi Shadow!”, or “How was today?”, just silence.

 

Maria lay off to the side of her bed, arm reaching for one of her syringes, having lost consciousness before she could make it.

 

It was the first bout of true fear Shadow had ever felt. He picked her up and ran. Nothing but a dark blur tearing through the corridor.

 

His boots left a mark on the tile as he skidded to a stop. Looking panicked and holding Maria.

 

The room burst into activity. Everyone was quick to her aid, while Shadow stared blankly forward.

 

“Shadow.”

 

A hand on his shoulder. Red eyes slowly shifted upward. The Doctor.

 

“Shadow, I need you. I need your help, to help Maria.”

 

“Okay.”

 

___

 

Experiments changed after some time. Usually, they just sampled blood, flesh, saliva. Now he was being tested.

 

Why did he need to learn how to fight? “To protect Maria”, Says the Doctor. And so he is fitted with high-tech gadgets, and his power channeled.

 

They kept taking more. Teeth, limbs, chunks. “For Maria.”

 

They would grow back anyway. He could handle this. For her.

 

___

 

“They change color.”

 

Shadow looked up, placing down a pristine copy of Peyton Place. Not a terrible read, but not really his flavor either. Don’t Go Near The Water was better. “Hm?”

 

“Your eyes.”

 

Placing a clawed finger over his left eye, he cocked his head. “How so?”

 

“They’re orange-y gold when you’re like this. Here reading…”, Maria picked up her own book, hand splayed over the waxy cover.

 

“I hadn’t noticed.”

 

“Mhm. They’re red any other time. The redder the more upset you usually are.”

 

“I suppose I would be bad at cards then.”, He attempted to lighten the mood, an unusual thing. What was Maria trying to get at?

 

“When you get back from the lab, they’re always really red.”

 

“Oh.”

 

They stay red for the rest of the day.

 

___

 

He winces for the first time in the operating theater. It’s an unconscious action.

 

They had been carving a deep rectangle out of his arm, his hands bound. And he flinched, a small sound escaping him.

 

The Doctor paused, but no one else did. Shadow righted himself and put a stony expression on. Knowing the Doctor felt remorse for his status wasn’t news to him. His creator and Maria were the two humans that actually seemed to care for his well being.

 

Recoiling during examination… Shameful.

 

He couldn’t help it, though.

 

It hurt.

 

___

 

It gets worse. Shadow can’t bring himself to care.

 

With his sacrifices, Maria was free-standing. No longer tethered to her IV, and able to roam. They play more, running around private corridors and enjoying her new found energy.

 

There is a perpetual ache in his chest, but being with her lightens it.

 

He can do this.

 

___

 

“Hey, Shadow?”, Maria’s voice chimes up. Today was a good day. Nothing but simple combat training for him, and Maria seemed to be feeling well.

 

“Hm?”

 

“When do you think you’ll stop growing up?”

 

It’d been a year since his creation. His pseudo-sibling insisted on making a big deal out of it.

 

“Your grandfather said I would stop aging when my physical peak is reached. Physically, that would be between 17 and 26. Depending on what part of my DNA is dominate.”, He’d come out of the tube at bodily 14 years of age, the moment his rapid form-growth reached stability. He’d now been aging at a standard Mobian rate, matching an ideal 15-year-old statistics at his year anniversary.

 

“You’re just getting so tall.”, She complained, pointing to the door frame. Blue dashes stayed in a small grouping while red ones steadily climbed.

 

He didn’t want to bring up that he was still small for his “age”, or that her disease was likely stunting her growth. No need to damper a perfectly good day.

 

___

 

Shadow doesn’t make it back to the room one evening. The lights in Lab #1 stay on through the night.

 

Maria paces back and forth, a game of chess set up in the background. Their new shipment of books untouched while she waited for her companion.

 

Hours pass, and he’s still not home.

 

___

 

“I want to go back to Earth.”

 

Shadow sprawled out in bed, limbs akimbo in whatever position dulled the aches from examination.

 

“Why?”, He asks, glancing at her with a ruby stare.

 

“I hate it here.”, Maria yells backward, hands distracted as she packed a bag. As if she could run away from a Space Station. “I’m locked in here, and they keep hurting you…”

 

“Will they not let you go back?”, He responds, ignoring the last bit. He didn’t mind being hurt if it would help her. But if him being hurt, hurt her…

 

“No. I have to stay here.”

 

“How will we leave?”

 

“So you’ll help me?”, She turns to him, eyes bright with passion and brimming with tears.

 

“Was it ever a question? How will we escape?”, His dedication to Maria trumped his loyalty to the Doctor. All the time they spent in the lab, Shadow knew everything he had to do to protect her and care for her sickness. All the books he’d read, the medical journals Dr. Robotnik had shared…

 

Maria’s face is uncharastically stoney for a thirteen-year-old, out of place as she threw down a primitive map of the ARK.

 

“In the tunnel, we get to play in, there is a way to an escape pod. I have the authorization to launch it since Grandpa runs the station.”

 

“Would he not be upset at your loss?”

 

“I never see him anymore anyway. I hate it. We can take care of ourselves, Shadow.”

 

“Okay.”

 

___

 

They never get to escape.

 

Red lights blare, casting eerie lights as he leads Maria down what seemed to be an endless set of corridors.

 

Shadow covers her eyes every time they stumble across a dead body and pulls her in another direction.

 

Blood splashed against nearly every wall as forces reigned down upon them. Bullet fire echoed in the background, the pounding of organized boots. Moving through the station to wipe them out efficiently.

 

In the chaos, the prototypes had escaped. Unstable beings now adding to the death toll aboard the ARK. Killing whatever the soldiers missed.

 

Why? Why was this happening?

 

“We have to go this way, Shadow.”, Maria stops their run, pulling his gloved hand towards an unlit hallway.

 

They keep running, making their way to the escape pod they had planned to use in their grand runaway plan.

 

It was clear Maria was growing weak, ragged pants replaced her normal quiet breathing. Shadow had to pull her along before eventually just carrying her bridal-style towards the Escape Bay.

 

The screaming sirens had him wanted to tear his ears off. The flashing lights making him disoriented. Every sense was over-stimulated, now he relied on Maria to steer him in the right direction.

 

They make it, Maria rolls out of his arms and towards a control panel. “I need to set the coordinates…”, She mumbled to herself, fingers moving quickly on one of the many keyboards in the room.

 

“Activate protocol SIEGE, authorization MIMI.”, Her voice was clear, only the slightest nervous edge to it.

 

“ **COMMAND ACCEPTED. PLEASE MAKE TO POD #3** .”, The robotic speaker echoed out. The relief was short-lived, as it crackled. “ **ER ER ER.** ”

 

“ **AUTHORIZATION REVOKED**.”

 

“What? Why!?”, She cried out, resuming her frantic typing to no avail. “Maybe I can-”

 

Maria was smart, smarter than any other kid her age. Even more so than some adults. And he had super-engineered intellect. They would figure something out, right?

 

“Can we manually maneuver the pod?”, Shadow asked, pressing a few buttons to open one of the Escape Pods. None were missing. Nobody had made it out…

 

“Well… We might land in the ocean or in a volcano but it might be our best bet…”

 

“STAND DOWN AND SURRENDER PEACEFULLY!”, A foreign male voice shouted out, accompanied by the sound of harsh bootsteps.

 

Maria became a flurry of motion as Shadow stood, terrified and unsure. Her hand grabbed the collar of his uniform. And she _shoved._

 

His back hit something solid, startled from her sudden aggression. Everything was ringing. Everything was moving slowly. What was happening?

 

The pod clamped shut. But Maria was _out there_ , and he was _in here_.

 

“MARIA!”, Shadow shouted, kicking against the glass-like walls of the escape pod.

 

“LET GO OF THE LEVER, GIRL!”, The soldier yelled, holding his firearm up and aiming right at her.

 

Hand poised over the lever, Maria’s eyes blazed with defiance as she prepared to pull it down.

 

“I’m sorry, Shadow. It looks like you’ll have to explore Earth without me.”

 

“Please…”, His fist beat against the interior of the pod, tears freely running down his face. “Maria, please!”

 

“Good-bye, Shadow.”

 

A loud crack echoed through the room. He watched, as her body slid to the floor, pulling the lever down.

 

And then there was nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The woman, however, was an unexpected addition. A Mobian, if the ears and wings were anything to go by. Shadow hadn’t even sensed her in the room. Casually hanging from the ceiling, legs thrown over a support beam, a satisfied smirk on her face.
> 
> “I wonder how that will work.,'' Her voice was casual, jeering even. But Shadow felt a shiver at the threat she held. This was no one to take lightly. 
> 
> And she has an Emerald. The blue light reflecting around the room as she held it as easily as one would hold a sandwich.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! I hope you all enjoy < 3

Consciousness was... Unwanted. 

 

Upon crashing, GUN had immediately beset him and he’d been shoved into another cryo-chamber. It’d been so long since Shadow had been forced into something like that. Half-dead while the cold chill stabbed into every fiber of his being. 

 

The ARK’s was far more advanced. The process of being put to sleep, less uncomfortable. And ARK didn’t let him dream during stasis. 

 

GUN did. 

 

Vivid images or uncoordinated colors, an array of greens, oranges, and reds. The distinct sensation of falling down down  _ down _ -

 

Then, there was a flash of heat, followed by a hiss. Oxygen being pumped in and immediately flowing out as the worn seals break upon the capsules activation. A foolish mistake, not maintaining what was meant to be a superweapon.

 

Shadow’s facilities returned to him one by one, a suffering awakening because there was no way GUN’s Earth equipment could match up the state-of-the-art machinery that they had up there. Gerald’s mind was an unappreciated blessing on those knaves. Valuing his experiments feedback on small comforts. 

 

Gasping, Shadow fisted his uniform, clenching tight over his heart. Body stiff and uncooperative. His mind was a rush of unorganized memories, like scalpels rattling around in his skull. One stood at the forefront of the chaos-

 

He lurched forward, head pressed to his knees. 

 

She was gone. 

 

She was gone, they killed her. 

 

And he did NOTHING. 

 

Rising up carefully, he planted his hand on the side of the capsule. Lifting himself out, ignoring the fuzzy sensation in his limbs. 

 

“You- Wait no. What an uncanny resemblance though…”, A vaguely familiar voice spoke out, standing about fifteen feet away. 

 

And Shadow has to do a double take, questioning whether his eyes had been damaged in his cryo because the man before him is a near identical clone of the Doctor. But the soft lines had been replaced with arrogance, grey colors swapped for garish reds. Not that he was able to say anything on that. Having glowing red markings embedded in his very own skin. 

 

Stepping out, he sizes up the Doctor look-alike and weighs his options. Until he knew more of what was going on, being forceful would likely end up with… Unfavorable outcomes. 

 

“Hello. My name is Shadow. Thank you for awakening me.”, He really wasn’t thankful. Maria should have been here, the two of them together. Exploring Earth together. At the very least his corpse should have been the one to push the lever aboard. 

 

“Ah HA. Well. It was no problem. You were my Grandfather’s greatest work! It only fits that I would be the one to have you.” 

 

Oh, just another human eager for him to be their project. Wait-

 

“Grandfather…?”, Shadow says instead of anything else. 

 

“Dr. Gerald Robotnik! To think he perfected the Ultimate Lifeform-”, Shadow tuned the man out as he went on. It was useless information, nothing he didn’t already know. The Ultimate Lifeform title was stamped on his file aboard ARK. A brand he wore proudly, as Maria’s cure. Truly powerful. Now useless. A weapon and nothing more.

 

“What is today?”, His boots clattered loudly against the tile floor. In the background, he could make out the sound of sirens. The last time he heard that blare, things had not ended well.

 

“June 19th 20XX. Now Shadow… It’d be best if we started making our way out--”, The Doctor wanna-be startled as a robot busted into the room. He bristled as if this one petty robot would be a challenge. 

 

Ice crept into Shadow’s veins, hands tensing and relaxing. “An opportunity…”, He muttered to himself. Thoughts, emotions, raced through his mind. He knew what to do, staring hard at the G.U.N printed on the side if the machine.  _ They _ did this after all.  _ They _ would see what he could be capable of. “Allow me to show you my usefulness, Doctor.”

 

“Huh-”, The man managed before Shadow jumped up, far higher than any Mobian should be able to on sheer power alone. His fist goes directly through the metal casing, red from the soldier inside soaking his gloves before pulling out with a handful of wires and flesh.

 

The bot lands on the ground with a dull thud. Its pilot pressed limply against the glass, dead. 

 

“Wow! That was incredible!”, The man cheered, watching Shadow shake some of the blood from his hand. The impressed stare was good, a sign that the Doctor had a true interest in his prowess. He needed to get out of this place and stay out, while he plotted.

 

“Doctor. Perhaps we could assist one another.”, Shadow steps over the remains of the robot, advancing towards his creator’s look-alike. “I require power to…”, Kill them all. For taking her from him. For ending an innocent life for no reason. Taking his purpose away. “Fulfil an important task.” 

 

“Perfect. Because I also have the same needs as you do. Ivo Robotnik. A pleasure to be working with you, Shadow.” 

 

The boy nodded, making his way towards the exit. “Meet me aboard the Space Colony ARK. Bring more Emeralds.” 

 

___

 

Shadow immediately doubted The Doctor’s credibility. The man was bright like his creator was. That same Robotnik spark of genius Maria had, but it was wasted on short-sightedness. Going over old news broadcasts on a stolen computer, watching as the man was thwarted time and time again by a child. Occasionally a team of children. 

 

A grown man could only complain about a teenager so much before all respect was last, Shadow has spent some time getting familiar with this “Sonic” character. Blurry photos, nothing more than flashes of blue and tan skin. An insignificant use of his time. He shuts the computer down. 

 

Lingering in the hallways of ARK, Shadow took in the dusty hallways. The occasional bones, robots he shattered on the way in, a worn copy of Peyton Place. 

 

GUN still patrolled after all this time. Nearly fifty years. Busted robots littered the floor as he worked on cleaning up the station.

 

They would pay. He would avenge her. And he knew just how to do so. 

 

_ “Good-Bye, Shadow.” _

 

Heaving forward, he braced his hands on the worn railing, waiting for the dizzying wave to finish running its course. His breath coming out in hard pants. By the end of it, he was on one knee, dust sinking into the fabric of his uniform.

 

Another thing he had become acquainted with upon waking out of his time. Shaking off the tail end of his nervous freak-out, Shadow stood tall. 

 

Regardless, he couldn’t solely rely on the Doctor to bring him the Emeralds. He needed to take matters into his own hands. 

 

The Eclipse Cannon wouldn’t power itself.

 

___

  
  


The first thing he noted about being on Earth was the amount of room he had to test his boundaries. Never before had he been able to skate for such a distance as he moved down the red highway. A small reward to claim from a doomed planet.

 

Taking the Emerald was far too easy. A cheap glass case broken by a simple punch and then a lackluster chase. The robots were weak, the soldiers even more so. How had these people taken the ARK? Had fifty years made everyone soft? 

 

His training had been rigorous compared to this. Child’s play. 

 

At the end of it, another pilot with his glorified toy strolled up. Eager to show off, grinning at Shadow from within the cockpit.

 

Another test presented to him on a silver platter. 

 

“Chaos Spear.”, The gem hidden in his pocket vibrated, eager to respond to his call. With it, a phantom spear appears, impaling through the machine and its handler. Falling to the ground with a heavy thud, the poor construction making it fall apart with the contact. Oil mixing with blood on the cement streets.

 

For a second, he smiles at the victory. It was just… So easy. Yet, his blood burned at the idea that humans this weak had bested them. He should have just killed them aboard the ARK. He could have. Then this wouldn’t be happening now. She would be here.

 

Pulling out the Emerald, he wipes a thumb over its shiny surface, grimacing at the reflection of himself.

 

“Hey!”, A high voice yelled from behind. Shadow turned to see, red meeting green and lingering on each other.

 

And now he understood the Doctor’s initial confusion upon seeing him awaken. It was a lighter, softer, version of him. Without any of the scarring or an edge in his eyes, and added gaudy blue hair. Just a simple Mobian boy.

 

“You’re the one that's got the cops chasing me down!”, The boy takes a daring step forward. As if he could do something against the Ultimate Lifeform. “The media’s got us mixed up- You’re coming with me, Faker!”

 

Shadow just stared, throwing the gem up and down idly.

 

“Hey… That in your hand- That’s a Chaos Emerald!” 

 

“Did it take you that long to figure out?”, Shadow remarked dully, a small smirk on his face. 

 

“What are you planning on doing with it, huh?”, Blue boy started advancing, red sneakers thudding against the pavement. Lunging at Shadow with a hand outstretched.

 

“Chaos Control.”, Shadow commanded, holding the Emerald out in front of him and warping. The power he wielded with this stone… Intoxicating. 

 

Appearing behind Sonic, Shadow gave a hard shove, knocking the boy to the ground. It was hard to believe they were the same age. Such a stark difference. Perhaps it was loss, that made people this way. Or maybe beings were just like this, on Earth.

 

Enraged, Sonic stood up, knees and palm scrapped, charging at Shadow before his black-haired look-alike teleported again. Now standing upon the tall railing of Radical Highway. Shadow had to hand it to him, the kid was fast. Not fast enough to beat him, but fast.

 

Interesting...

 

“My name is Shadow.”, He greeted, throwing the Emerald up and down again before it settled in his palm. “I am this world’s one and only Ultimate Lifeform.” 

 

“What?”, Sonic’s hands balled into fists. What was this guy’s problem? 

 

“I’m in a hurry. We can play again later.” Without another word, Shadow vanished in a flash of green light. 

 

___

 

Unsurprisingly, the Doctor showed up on ARK without an Emerald. Having left the one he did have in the GUN base after awakening Shadow. Which leaves them with only the Green one he’d stolen from the museum. All that time and the man had only been able to locate a transporter to the station. 

 

Explaining the Eclipse Cannon was easy enough, its brilliant light casting ominous shadows around the room. The Doctor was smart but childlike, enthralled with the idea of this doomsday device. Quickly manipulated into Shadow’s grand plans. A Robotnik built this machine, a Robotnik should have a hand in its firing. 

 

Then they would all pay. 

 

The woman, however, was an unexpected addition. A Mobian, if the ears and wings were anything to go by. Shadow hadn’t even sensed her in the room. Casually hanging from the ceiling, legs thrown over a support beam, a satisfied smirk on her face.

 

“I wonder how that will work.,'' Her voice was casual, jeering even. But Shadow felt a shiver at the threat she held. This was no one to take lightly. 

 

And she has an Emerald. The blue light reflecting around the room as she held it as easily as one would hold a sandwich. 

 

They strike a deal. And Shadow felt something akin to excitement on working with an actual competent individual. He hadn’t felt much of anything since waking. Impulses to destroy,  crippling remorse, but not much else. Annoyance, maybe? 

 

“They’re holding Emeralds on Prison Island. We can infiltrate and retrieve them.” 

 

“And how do you propose we do that?”, Shadow asks, leaning back against the Controller and glaring at Rouge. 

 

“Easy now, Tiny. What kinda girl do you take me for?”, Rouge winked at him, flying down to talk face to face. “I’ve got it all planned out. Let’s make out way back down, things like this go down better over a cup of tea. Or vodka. But you look a little too young for that.” 

 

They all leave separately, or at least he assumes. The Doctor had taken the transporter back, but Shadow had his own transportation. But upon arriving at his method, he sees Rouge is leaning against his pod, a smile on her face. Smug.

 

“Hi hi Mr. Shadow.”, She waves vibrantly, making it impossible to ignore. Shadow does so anyway. “Aw, don’t be like that. Kids shouldn’t be so reserved.” 

 

“I’m not a kid.”, He growls out, pressing the initialization on the pod. It’s doors open with a pressurized hiss, and he steps inside, dogged by Rouge. 

 

“The baby-face says otherwise. Come now, this’ll be a great chance to get to know one another before the big heist. I must say, it’s an honor to meet you.”

 

He pays her no mind, setting in the coordinates for a safe spot away from humanity. 

 

“Oh, I have a better idea.” She takes over punching in a different set of instructions before launching it. 

 

“Hey!-”, Shadow barely gets to smack her hand away before they’re plummeting down to Earth. The majority of the time he glares, claws digging into his hands with effort. It takes a lot to not have an outburst.

 

“Why did you change-”, He started to yell as they approach what looks like a city, (Shadow isn’t sure), only to have Rouge cover his mouth with her hand. He’s tempted to bite it. 

 

“I felt like you could use a little socialization. Maybe some new digs.” She gestures to his ARK uniform, covered in dark red stains and dust. It had been a busy couple of days. “I know just the place~!”

 

“I like these.”, He says, prying her hand away from his mouth, instead of saying ‘I’m a wanted felon and can’t possibly go shopping’, ‘I’d rather die than do said shopping’  or ‘I don’t want you near me for this long’. 

 

“Now now, don’t be picky. We can have them washed, but for now, we need something for you to wear that’ll attract… Less attention.”, The aged uniform of a place most people have never heard of wasn’t an ideal disguise. 

 

“Leave me be.”, He hisses, walking in the opposite direction of Rouge. 

 

“Ooh. So, you’ll walk around an unfamiliar city with bloodstained clothing while wanted by the government rather than go shopping? Boys, honestly.” She flew over to him, still walking away from her. 

 

“I’ll kill them if they try to get me.”, His tone is matter-of-fact. He will. 

 

“Scary scary. Come on, It’ll be fun.” She prods. He walks faster. “I’ll buy us some food, what kind of drinks do you like? Don’t you want to get to know Mobi- Earth a bit before you blow it up?”

 

.

.

.

 

There is a strong sense of annoyance thrumming through his veins, sitting in a clothing shop while Rouge grabbed at various articles. Grimacing as she pulled out a particularly bright blue shirt.

 

Why did he even agree to this? 

 

_ “I’m sorry, Shadow. It looks like you’ll have to explore Earth without me.” _

 

He coughs, head falling into his hand, while the other he held over his chest. Splitting pain, like being jabbed with a thousand needles spread over his scalp. 

 

“Okay, I picked out a few- You okay, hun?”, Rouge popped into his vision, her arms full of clothing. 

 

Taking a few deep breaths, he shook his head. Responding to her with a polite nod. Probably the nicest gesture he’d shown her in the six-hour period he’d known her. She knows it’s wrong because it’s out of character and if the report was to be believed; he’s an artificial being who had never been on Mobius. Who knew what kind of reactions he’s having to being on planet?

 

“I’ll let that little episode slide for now. Just give a girl a warning if you plan on kicking the bucket, okay?”, She brushes it off verbally, but mentally catalogs it. Her lengthy paper on Project Shadow was getting longer by the second. “Alright, now let's get to the fashion show!” 

 

Shadow sighs, head slightly thrown back in barely concealed exasperation.  

 

“Strip for me, okay?”, She grins, wicked. Shadow doesn’t understand it as he shrugs off his uniform jacket, then gloves, before tugging the white undershirt off. “Oof, I was kinda kidding but wow. Definitely a unique look you’ve got there, sugar.” 

 

He looks in the mirror, red markings embossed in his skin with a subtle glow. Shadow-y loops of black painted on already dark skin. A small gold locket around his neck. He keeps his limiters on, knowing he’s not in any emotional state to control his errant Chaos energy. “The scientists asked this of me often. I suppose it doesn’t bother me like most creatures.” 

 

And that goes straight in the mental bin for her paper. Albeit some of her heart goes out to the boy. Man, she would have so much typing to do tonight. Extraterrestrial physical traits, scientists… How much info would he give willingly? Before he got annoyed or wary of her? 

 

“Scientists, eh?”, She says, casually. “Get a lot of work done, pretty boy?”

 

He accepts the black tee offered to him, pulling it on and enjoying the clean feeling. Tight, but not suffocating. Perhaps the bloodsoaked attire was cumbersome… “I spent most of my time in Lab One. It was necessary.” They had to cure Maria, after all. 

 

“Hm.”, Rouge offers, throwing a pair of black jeans and boxers and kindly turning around while he puts them on. “So, you’re not gonna melt into a pile of goo when it rains, right?”

 

He huffs at her jeering, sliding into the new clothes, not bothering to dignify the question with a response.

 

The last accessory is a thick, dark leather jacket with a white fur collar. Not something she was totally serious about giving to him but found it needed to cover his monster-like limbs. Plus he took it without complaints. 

 

“We’ll have to wash the gloves at my place. It’s June so we’re not going to be finding those on the shelves.” 

 

Shadow nods, shoving his hands into the pockets of his new jacket. 

 

With little fanfare, Rouge pays, with counterfeit rings naturally, and they leave. She had to ensure Shadow that the people looking at them aren’t GUN, or looking at him for nefarious reasons… That he was a cute kid, and people liked to look at pretty men, not a reason to panic.

 

.

.

.

 

Her apartment wasn’t in top shape, having been run ragged on missions, but Shadow was born on a space station and only knew a handful of other living beings. Also, he was a teenager, and they tended to ignore mess. 

 

It’s one of the few things Shadow does to fit the projected age bracket she had on him, completely blinking off the mess in favor of looking at her nic-nacks. It was cute, the reserved and cautious way he examined everything. 

 

“Any requests?”, Rouge walks into her kitchen, sifting through whatever she had. 

The boy in her company didn’t answer, looking contemplative. He didn’t know what most people ate. He ate what Maria ate, and Maria ate whatever she wanted because no one was going to tell a dying child she couldn’t have five pieces of chocolate cake in one day. 

 

Most of the meals they ate, he never asked the name of. Rather just eating while watching mindless cartoons. 

 

“Cat got your tongue?”, She mocked, looking at him from over the counter, both hands on her chin. Watching his turmoil. “I’ll make spaghetti. I don’t actually have a lot in the house. My bad. Wasn’t expecting to shelter a wanted felon in my one bedroom.” 

 

He stays quiet, glaring at her from the entryway. 

 

“You can make yourself at home.”, Rouge waves a hand towards the couch, inviting him to it. Shadow doesn’t move, looking at the couch. “Oh, I forgot you grew up in space. It’s a couch, you sit on it.” 

 

“I know what a couch is.”, He seethes, stomping over and flopping down. Not question how she knew he wasn’t from this planet.

 

At some point, watching this incredibly serious and sullen child poke curiously at her poor spaghetti attempt, as if it was going to attack him, became the best time she’d had in a while. The bewildered expression as Shadow watched her slurp it up noodles sat in her mind as she powered on her laptop. 

 

The boy in question had taken up the couch, a blanket thrown over him. His legs didn’t even dangle off the edge as he curled up, back facing her. 

  
  


**_ROUGE REPORT ; ; NUMBER 27 ;; ROUGH DRAFT - PERSONAL ASSESSMENTS_ **

 

**_MEET SUSPECT LIFEFORM IN QUESTION_ **

 

**_Claims to be named Shadow, so involvement in Project Shadow is highly likely. Final product; Ultimate LifeForm. Is this it?_ **

 

**_> Trauma in subject is apparent. Source not determined. Wears a necklace, likely a personal effect from someone else. Loved one? _ **

**_> Will investigate. _ **

**_> Possible mental instability. PTSD of some sort likely. Subject appeared to panic attack at unknown trigger. _ **

 

**_> Hostile intent towards humans, Earth. Doesn’t refer to planet as Mobius despite appearing Mobian. Treats like-kind a bit better but seems to hold an active distaste for all living creatures. Working with IVO “DR. EGGMAN” ROBOTNIK. Attempting to activate a super weapon aboard SPACE STATION ARK. Imminent threat to Earth._ **

**_> This links back to trauma. Hatred towards humanity. Can it be corrected? _ **

**_> Weapon title Eclipse Cannon. Powered from CHAOS ENERGY. Needs all seven Chaos Emeralds._ **

 

**_> Subject appears young, acts young as well. A positive. Likely acting out of nativity / confusion. Seems encumbered. _ **

**_> Still extremely intelligent, though ignorant about the world. From apparent isolation. _ **

 

**_> > ABNORMAL APPEARANCE. _ **

**_> Glowing markings._ **

**_> Inhuman / Non-Mobian traits, such as dark forelimbs resembling BLACK ARMS. Was initial report correct? _ **

 

**_// Conclusion; I believe in my ability to assess the situation and act accordingly. > Will not yet act. _ **

 

**_Seems to be an okay kid._ **

 

Rouge snickers to herself at the end. Obviously she would edit it later, pad it out and put it in format, but for now… Watching Shadow curled up against the back of the couch, she couldn’t help feel a bit tired herself. 

 

Getting up, Rouge grabbed his gloves from where they had been soaking in the sink before throwing them into the wash with her whites. The water became an unpleasant murky brown as the blood and the dirt caked in softened its way out of the fabric. Draining it before walking off to her bedroom.

 

.

.

.

 

Much to her surprise, Shadow is still there in the morning. Half-awake on the couch, rubbing at his face. Dark circles under his eyes, despite sleeping well over eight hours. His hair was loose, the tie holding it up must have shaken out in his sleep. It was an adorable image.  Black strands with red quills weaving through, denoting hedgehog genetics. What was it about hedgehog Mobians that drew so much attention, anyway?

 

“Well, good morning, Tiny.”, Rouge grins at him, leaning against the door frame to her bedroom, still dressed in night clothes. Shadow’s own clothes had been thrown into disarray from sleeping.

 

He startles slightly, his eyes going wide for a brief moment before recomposing himself. 

 

“I’ll admit, I didn’t take you for late-riser. You seem more like the type to be up at six AM sharp, tapping your foot at everyone who shows up fifteen minutes earlier.” 

 

Getting up slowly, Shadow stretches his shoulder and frowns. “It appears I am experiencing a few side effects from being in stasis for so long…”, He usually was an early riser. Expected at the labs before Maria even considered waking up. 

 

“Well, best we shake that off.”, Rouge heads into the kitchen, powering her coffee machine on and pouring some water inside. Pressing brew and enjoying the aroma of coffee that filled her apartment. 

 

Rouge pretended not to notice Shadow watching her with a curious gaze, ears up and head slightly cocked. The tough, grouchy exterior held the soul of a child. A good thing, she assumes. Kids Shadow’s age tended to be dramatic, and angry. And being a lab-created with little interaction with other living beings, he had a lot of “social norms” to work out. Like not getting upset and helping a mad-man blow up the planet. She still hadn’t pinned down his reasoning, nor could she tell if it was self-righteous or selfish. 

 

“Would you like a cup?” She offers, breaking from her musings and smirking as she noticed him snap back to not paying her any attention. 

 

Shadow just stares, ears now pinned back as he examined the mugs she pulled out of the cabinet. 

 

“I’m not hearing a yes or no?”, She pours a second cup anyways, bringing out the cream and sugar to the coffee table. 

 

Eyeing her, he takes the mug from her outstretched hand with great hesitation. Blackened hands holding the warm ceramic and noting the comforting feeling it radiated into his palms. 

 

“Never had coffee before, I take it?”, He gives her a small nod. Rouge notes how expressive he can be, when not being guarded. Face full of character, ears twitching back and forth. “Most people put milk, or cream in it, plus sugar.” 

 

He stares at the sweeteners like they personally offended him, and takes a small sip of black coffee. Based on the surprised expression on his face, Shadow seems to enjoy the bitter drink and goes in for another small sip. 

 

.

.

.

 

The rest of the morning goes well. She introduces Shadow to the shower, laughing loudly as his inability to process basic Mobian needs. After twisting on the warm water Rouge worries she’ll have to stay in the bathroom with him, but he picks it up pretty quick. 

 

It was pleasant, helping him towel dry his hair and mocking his fussing with it. Like the little brother she never had. Or never really wanted. After all, an antisocial angry teenager with literal superpowers left quite a bit to be desired. 

 

At the very least, Rouge knew Shadow needed someone to look after him. For all the haute, he was fragile at best. Her research on The Ultimate Lifeform and Project Shadow was well worth the sizable chest of gems and jewels, but no one said she couldn’t enjoy her investigation, now did they? 

 

“Here-”, She grabbed a hair tie out of the bundle in Shadow’s hand. A few snapped ones lay on the floor from his prior over-aggressive attempts. Grabbing a brush with her other hand, she pulled through his tangly wet hair. Ignoring his indignant shout of pain. Honestly, this is why she kept hers short. 

 

Shadow pulled many displeased faces as she dragged through his hair roughly, until finally, after an eternity, she gathers it up all of it and pulls it into a sloppy half-bun-half-ponytail, but at least it would be out of his face. Rigid quills stick out awkwardly, and a few strands fall loose. He pulls it off alright, Rouge thinks, appraising his appearance.  

 

“Can’t do your hair by yourself? You had it tied up when I met you. Eggman do it for you?”, She mocks, ignoring the growl he gives her before looking down at his hands. The shift in expression, from annoyed to downright depressed was startling. 

 

_ “Here! I’ll help you”, Maria smiles, holding a red ribbon in one hand and a brush in the other. Prompted by watching Shadow push his hair back for the nth time while reading. _

 

“...Someone else used to do it for me…” 

 

_ “So, he did have someone to look after him before. Someone who was more than just a scientist… Someone he loved enough to grieve.” _ , Rouge thinks, eyeing the locket dangling from his neck.  _ I wonder if I can get my hands on that. _

 

“Well, I'll help you out for now. For now, we should get going. Those emeralds aren’t going to steal themselves!”

 

He gets up wordlessly, offering a nod and following her to the door.  _ Oh Chaos, he’s even shorter than her _ . They leave without fanfare, heading to a boat Eggman had posted coordinates on. 

 

_ Time for work.  _

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to think a little part of Shadow imprinted on Rouge like a duckling, while he was in an unfamiliar place and needed someone to guide him. Also why he would be upset after discovering she's a GUN agent intent on researching him. 
> 
> I also like hammering away at the fact that Shadow and Sonic are 15 and not adults. And are absolutely asshole teenagers. 
> 
> Until next time! - Ascher


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy! 
> 
> Emetophobia warning as well as descriptions of a breakdown.

If Eggman notices that they arrive together, he wisely chooses not to comment. 

 

Shadow had grown antsy during their journey to Prison Island. Whether it was the boat ride or the prospect of returning to the base he’d been held in for fifty-odd years. The boy was clenching and unclenching his fist, looking irate. Anxious even.

 

Placing a hand on his shoulder helped, at first the murderous glare Rouge received almost made her nervous, almost being a keyword, threatening looks only worked so well on pouty baby-faced science experiments. But to her surprise, he took a deep breath and relaxed. A good sign. Shaking body steadying underneath her fingertips. He trusted her. 

 

What a naive thing to do. 

 

“Coming back here isn’t my idea of a vacation. However… Rouge, how can you be so sure your intelligence reports are correct? Why would GUN be holding Chaos Emeralds here? Are you sure?”, Eggman stared her down, the servos in his mech whirring in its riders idle.

 

“Believe what you wanna believe, Doctor.”, She grinned up at him, wolfish and toothy, shrugging carelessly. 

 

“We can only hope that this intel is true… We’ll have to get this started.”, Eggman places a hand on his chin. “I have our ‘game plan’ in mind. Rouge.”

 

She barely gives him any attention, pausing in checking her nails through a gloved hand. 

 

“I will be infiltrating the main facility. This will draw their attention away from you, who will be going within the base and retrieving the emeralds.” A nod, she gets it. That’s what she assumed they would do anyway. “Shadow?” 

 

Annnnd there’s that intense glare again. Eggman flinches for a second, before coughing it off and continuing. 

 

“You are to plant these explosives over the island. After Rouge has retrieved the Chaos Emeralds, we’ll blow the island to smithereens!” 

 

Shadow eyes the brightly colored explosives, gaze loitering on them, before giving a soft affirmative nod. 

 

“I have the remainder of the explosives on my carrier, along with some gear we’ll need to pull this off. We’ll meet there after I cause our ruckus.” 

 

By this point, Rouge and Shadow were just tired of hearing their “leader” (no one appointed him that) drone on. The female Mobian was typing away on a cell phone, the occasional chime of a video game could be heard when the forest went quiet. Shadow was watching a family of wild foxes that was traversing in the brush. 

 

Eggman looks at them with an exasperated eye. Coughing into his hand once more to draw their attention, which rewards him with at least 20% of their attention. “We only get one shot at this. Ten, fifteen minutes at most, so don’t fail me!” 

 

.

.

.

 

The EggCarrier was nice, stable as the rough seas attempted to shake the massive structure. Rouge waited for the go-ahead from Eggman while Shadow himself sat on the floor and practiced wiring the bombs. 

 

It wasn’t hard per say, but not something he’d ever been tasked to do aboard ARK. Nor was it part of any information preloaded into his cortex before his completion. Still, matching colors and setting timers was fairly basic. 

 

WIth a great deal of ruckus, the Doctor arrived back to the carrier in (mostly) one piece. Bits of his mech were smoking and sparking, but overall the man inside was unharmed. A solid chunk of metal clattered off of it and lamely hit the floor as he stopped in front of his team. 

 

“Well, now that that’s over.”, Eggman wiped under his nose. “Shadow, Rouge. Time to perform!” 

 

They rose, Shadow with an arm full of prepped bombs and Rouge straightening out her wings with a wicked smile. 

 

Walking together towards the shore, they managed a full ten minutes of walking before something goes awry. 

 

The look on Shadow’s face as a pale girl clung to his side was priceless. Uncomfortable, and startled was the first set of emotions, followed by immediate discomfort and controlled fury. Rouge guessed Shadow had a soft spot for women, otherwise, this wouldn’t be happening and whoever this girl was would be dead as a doornail. 

 

“Sonic! I’m so-”, The girl pauses, looking at Shadow’s tempered glare before jumping away. “Wait, you’re not Sonic!” 

 

“Do you tend to grab strange men and hope for them to be Sonic?”, Rouge snickered, watching as Shadow subconsciously moved slightly behind her. He watched the intruder with a cautious expression.

 

“You-! They look similar!”, Chaos, her voice was high. 

 

“Maybe. If you’re colorblind.”, Shadow still hadn’t said a word. Probably still uncomfortable from being accosted by a strange woman, the kid didn’t seem too keen on touch. Though Rouge played with the idea of the little girl being colorblind. The notorious hero and the prospective Ultimate Lifeform looked like they could be related at times. She could only imagine how much more similar they would look in shades of grey. Where Shadow’s darker palette wouldn’t be noticed as easily.

 

“Amy!”, Eggman suddenly boomed, looming behind her in his sparking mech. The machine shadowed over her. 

 

“Doctor Eggman!”, Newly dubbed ‘Amy’, shouted, eyes wide before darting off. Scampering towards the other end of the boat. Shouldn’t she be charging for the beach..?

 

Rouge and Shadow looked at each other, then back at the Doctor. Eyebrows raised.

 

“Impeccable timing- You two go ahead. I’ll take care of this.”

 

Without another word, they take off. Leaving in different directions with their objectives in mind. The faint sound of a helicopter echoing over as they left.

 

.

.

.

 

The jungle was awful, as far as Shadow was concerned. It was sticky hot, and not something he’d experienced yet. The humidity stuck in his hair leaving it pressed against his face and the back of his neck. Sweat build up over his skin, and he spent more time wiping it off than actually doing his job, luckily he was fast enough to do both. Unpleasant and taxing, he thought, itching a bug bite on his forearm.  

 

The last few bombs in one arm as he set another with his free hand. It was a bigger pain in the ass than he expected, making sure to synchronize the timers to the Doctor’s trigger on the EggCarrier. 

 

At least he was almost finished. 

 

The forest was now a network of bombs and broken robot parts from the GUN security he’d toppled in his haste. Their cameras would catch nothing but a dark blur at the speed he managed to finish at. 

 

Arming the last one, he pulled out his walkie and clicked the button on the side. 

 

“This is Shadow. I’ve completed planting the bombs.”

 

“Good work, Shadow!”, The Doctor boasted, Shadow having to move the speaker away from himself, ears folded back at the sheer volume assaulted him. The timer on the bombs start clicking down at his affirmation.

 

He starts walking his way back to the EggCarrier, hopefully Eggman had dealt with their unexpected visitor properly by now. Of which...

 

It’s been a bit since he’s heard from Rouge.

 

The click of the timers and buzz of insects accompany him on his way. 

 

Fifteen minutes…

 

Thirteen minutes… 

 

Ten minutes… 

 

“Howdy boys.”, Rouge’s voice echoes out from the speaker and he immediately stops, looking at the walkie intently. He didn’t like that tone of voice. 

 

“I’ve got a little problem.”, She sighs, hand still holding the button so no one can respond back. “I can’t believe it, but I’ve gotten myself locked in a safe with the Emeralds. Looks like we won’t be able to put World’s Greatest Treasure Hunter on my grave.”

 

She says it with such resigned false cheer. And it’s  _ awful.  _

 

Red eyes focus on the bomb timer, each second ticking down. And he chokes again, heart jumping in his chest. A flash of blonde, with a splash of red and  _ he can’t _ - 

 

“Damn it.”, Shadow swears, tearing back off into the forest, this time towards the base. 

 

GUN robots litter his path but he pays no heed to destroying them. Unable to relish in their downfall in his fervor. 

 

Every move he makes is risky. Daring jumps, heart-stopping vaults. His claws had long ripped through the white fabric of his gloves from catching them in tree bark to avoid plummeting into ravines or lakes. 

 

One grab doesn’t go quite as planned, and his nails slip, splinters stab into his fingertips and suddenly he’s dropping down to the lower levels of the forest. But the timers,  _ he still has time- _

 

Shadow lands on his back, coughing loudly to regain some air before getting up and running off again.  _ He’s sore all over but he can rest later-  _

 

His jet-boot catches on a thick root, and he stumbles, nearly falling forward but at least managing a sloppy recovery. Huffing out a raspy breath before putting one foot forward and-

 

“Hey, it’s you!”, A shrill boyish voice yells from behind and Shadow turns sharply to meet it. 

 

The boy flinches as Shadow glares down at him, before recovering and glaring back. 

 

He can only imagine how bad he looks. Coated in mud, sweat-sticky and cut up from his mad-dash towards the GUN base. And all he can think about what a waste of time this was and Rouge needed to be saved. 

 

“That damned kid again.”, Shadow seethes to himself, but audible enough for Sonic to hear. 

 

“Looking a little rough there, Faker!”, Sonic yells, arms moving into a boxing position. “Villainy not all it’s cracked up to be?” 

 

The boy’s voice grates on his nerves. High-pitched and upbeat, even while bantering. “Faker? You should be honored someone managed to mistake a buffoon like you with someone like me!”, But who was he, if he couldn’t save R̵o̷u̴g̵e̶...

̷                                            M̷a̴r̸i̴a̵.̶.̴.̵

  
  


“You- I’ll make you eat those words!”, And the boy lunges for him, the second time in the inconsequential amount of time he’d been awake from cryo. But this time he doesn’t have an Emerald to ditch the situation, opting to sidestep out of the way, landing in a crouch. 

 

“I don’t have time to play games with you.”, Shadow all but growls, raising up and puffing his chest out. Hands tensing with the intention of  _ snapping this fucking brats neck for getting in his way- _

 

“Aw. But you said we’d play again later, Faker!”, Sonic spat back, getting ready for another attack. 

 

He jumps, throwing a fist in Shadow’s direction and he barely manages a dodge. Feeling the wind from the blow on his cheek. This kid is  _ fast _ . And Shadow is tired, wounded, and pressed for time. 

 

Sonic fights like a trained boxer, taking deep breaths and pacing himself. Fists and kicks landing on Shadow with ease. 

 

Shadow on the other hand, fights like a starved jackal. All teeth, claws and brute power in a small frame. For every bruise he gains from Sonic’s assault, he gives a slash. All the combat training he’d received, the power in his veins, brought down to basic brutality.

 

Shadow’s new clothing was kitchen rags, hanging off of him in ribbons, bisected by quill cuts. The jacket had long since been shrugged off in favor of increasing his dexterity. Charging again, he lashed out at Sonic, nails sinking into skin and dragging.

 

The yell of pain was an affirmation of his success. His opponent shoving him back, and it takes all of Shadow’s strength not to fall backward. 

 

Sonic pants, leaving a cautious amount of distance between him and his foe. Looking Shadow up in down, and finds himself questioning how anyone could possibly mistake him. Shadow looked more monster than Mobian. Sharp teeth, pointed claws, eyes burning a luminous red accompanied with his bloody markings. 

 

“Just what are you, anyways?!”, Sonic shouts at him, voice hoarse. 

 

“Get out of my way-”, Shadow snapped, gearing up to lunge past this obstacle. 

 

“Not until we clear my name. You’re comin-- Augh!”, His declaration is interrupted by the deafening blare of Shadow’s walkie that lay abandoned on the forest floor nearby. 

 

_ “Shadow! What are you doing!? Get back here before the island blows up, with you on it!”, _ Eggman’s voice grates out of the speaker. 

 

“Blows up?!”, Sonic exclaims, looking at Shadow in surprise. 

 

“Rouge-”, Shadow starts, life flowing back into his veins and focuses on a near timer. Less than a minute, they had been fighting for  _ so long, he couldn’t make it he couldn't-  _

 

Ignoring his foe, Shadow shoves past him, charging towards the base. No more time could be wasted on this dumb fucking kid- 

 

The world is a blur of motion, swirls of green and brown before the towering GUN base makes it into view. The whole building is locked down, red sirens flashing and Shadow can’t  _ focus because this is so familiar-  _

 

Claws sink into the metal of the building and  _ rips- _

 

“Shadow?!”, Rouge looks surprised, but Shadow doesn’t greet her back, knowing what to do in his bones. 

 

His hand lays on one of the Emeralds, a familiar power traveling up his arm. His free hand grabs at Rouge. 

 

“Chao Control!”

 

.

.

.

 

They land in a tumble. Limbs tangling together on unexpectedly soft floor, emeralds dropping from her grip onto the ground with a soft noise. 

 

“Oof, what hit me.”, Rouge jokes, pulling her legs off of Shadow, who remained on the floor. “Shadow?” 

 

Lifting up fully, she examines him and the first thought to pass through her mind is “well, I didn’t leave him looking like this.” 

 

Shadow was cut, and bruised, blue quills still sticking out of his skin. His face was coated in sweat, expression tense even in unconsciousness. His new clothing turned to ribbons, torn from being pulled and cut. Whatever he’d gotten into, plus the stunt with the Emerald’s must have taken a lot out of him. Though the colored quills gave her somewhat of an idea of what happened. She had to hand it to Blue, Rouge never pegged as someone who could hurt another living being, just robots and the occasional God.  _ Unless Shadow had pressed him into it…  _

 

Sighing, she wiped the idea out of her head, bringing focus onto the damaged boy in front of her. Rags… And antiseptic… 

 

Leaving his side, Rouge looked around. And was pleasantly shocked to note they had been transported to her apartment, the living room. And a little endeared Shadow would use his abilities with her safety in mind. 

 

Man, she had almost died… 

 

That would have been embarrassing! Dying in a slum like that, jewels at her fingertips, but not being able to relish in the heist.

 

She’d owe Shadow big time. If the boy made it out of this without being eliminated or packed in ice by GUN. Then she would do something nice for him.

 

For now, it was time to clean up a rogue experiment. 

 

Tiptoeing into her bathroom, she grabbed out a bottle of isopropyl alcohol and a first-aid kit. Not the top-tier care he probably needed, but the best she could offer. Her medical cabinet was hardly a hospital. 

 

Next, to the kitchen to grab some clean dish rags. Dark ones preferably, that wouldn’t stain. 

 

“What am I gonna do with you?”, She mumbled aloud, lowering to the ground beside her newfound teammate. Pouring some alcohol over a cloth. Though, while reaching out to wipe a small cut on his forehead, she watched as a thin veil of green fluid overtook the wound. It swept left to right, erasing the wound like white-out over ink.

 

Right, that whole science experiment bit…

 

A similar process happened over the other minor wounds, wiping them out efficiently. Green stuck to the edges of the quills stabbed into his skin as if trying to push the foreign material out. While ideal information for her report, it was supremely unnerving. 

 

It was clear that the substance couldn’t actually force the sharp objects out, rather lamely pooling at the boundary between wound and weapon. 

 

Now wiping her hands with the antiseptic, Rouge has a pretty good idea of what to do. Fingers wrapped around one of the blue quills. And then pull-

 

Shadow groans quietly in his unconsciousness. Red blood oozes out for a second, before being seized upon by the mysterious toxic-looking fluid. 

 

Well, at least she didn't have to use up all of her bandages. And the whole process didn’t take more than an hour or so. 

 

The remainder of the quills are taken out in a similar fashion, leaving her with a pile of bloody blue spines. In a notepad on her phone, she marks down that the green moves slower after healing multiple wounds. Stamina-based? Energy-based? What was it, and how did it manifest from his standard red blood? Does this confirm ties to Black Arms? 

 

In her typing, Shadow stirs. Not awakening, but rather curling in on himself. His ears are pressed back, and his eyes drawn tightly shut. 

 

.

.

.

 

_ “What do you wanna do first, Shadow?”, Maria asks, out of the blue.  _

 

_ They’re standing in front of one of the many bay windows that covered the ARK. They were so clear, you’d never tell it was thick, compounded glass to protect them from the emptiness of space.  _

 

_ Earth lingered outside, seeming close enough to grab. If he just  _ **_r e a c h e d -_ ** __

 

_ “Whatever you want to.”, He responds, sitting on his bed, the world spinning into their room. A Chaos Emerald hanging in his grasp, the Eclipse Cannon primed at Earth, set to fire. _

 

_ “Is that really what you want?”, Shadow asks Shadow, two sitting adjacent. “Does it seem wise?” _

 

_ “I want what she wants.”, His voice echoes to no one, standing above Radical Highway, watching as police officers skid to a stop before him. Their formless bodies slink out of the driver's seat, guns held within black claws. “I want her justice.” _

 

_ “Are you sure you’re doing the right thing?”, He asks, his reflection in the ARK window looks contemplative.  _

 

_ “Yes.”, An image that could be the Professor or the Doctor answers for him, visages swaying back and forth like a CRT. Overlapping one another, accompanied by harsh static whenever he looked their way. _

 

_ The world pools at his feet, all green and blue and grey. Solidifying into soft colors. A well-lived in bedroom, books open all over the floor. More and more fill the room each time he blinks, but the pages are blank. Open and wordless, but saying so much-  _ **_Why were they so loud-_ **

 

_ “Shadow?”, Maria calls him, voice like a bell, and he pivots, turning sharply to greet her.  _

 

_ She stares at him with a sad smile, lycoris blooming over her chest. Petals shed off into liquid, splashing and spreading on contact with the iron floors. Shadow pounds at the glass of his pod, yelling inaudibly. Like his vocal cords have been cut.  _

 

_ Her hand wraps around the lever, before plunging it downward.  _

 

_ “----P-------T----------------H---------”, She says, and he falls. The static screaming around him as fire engulfs the pod. _

 

.

.

.

 

Shadow heaves, choking on his spit as he startles awake. Clawed fingers sink into his chest, leaving deep grooves as he tries to calm his spasming lungs. Acid climbs up his throat, threatening to spill out of his mouth and burn through the floor. He’s sure it will. Because it’s caustic coming up. Cooking him from the inside.

 

Saliva drips from his chin, having nowhere to go because he can’t swallow, and the bile won’t go  _ down-  _

 

He chokes, for the nth time since being awakened. But this time it’s different. It’s not a mistaken breath, or minute panic seizing his mind. This is liquid and he’s drowning,  _ he’s going to drown-  _

 

“Shadow?!”, Rouge slides into frame, a blurry visage of tan and white in his tear-filled eyes. 

 

The boy can’t respond, all he can do is force air into his lungs, a painful process. Each pull doesn’t give him enough and isn’t worth the suffering. But stopping isn’t an option, his body won’t allow him to quit. Rather, it struggles pathetically to do the simple task of breathing. 

 

“Sh. It’s okay, Shadow.”, No, it’s not, she’s lying. It’s not okay. Maria is gone, they took her away and ruined it all.  _ You have nothing. And you can't be okay. _

 

“I’ll be okay. Just breathe, alright?”, Her hand is on his back, reach tentative but wholly unacceptable, and he arches out of the touch. She recoils back in alarm. 

 

This is foreign territory. Sure, she'd seen her fair share of newbies vomit at the sign of a dead body, or cower after a mission with teary eyes. No, this was different. And ugly. A seizing, gasping artificial being with unknown abilities and powers, using her living room as the prime spot to have his emotional breakdown.

 

Shadow gags again, a wet, unpleasant sound followed by ragged coughing. Spit dripping over his lips before he throws up, just barely managing to move his head to the side to avoid choking. It’s not red, or green, Rouge notes. Small victories, she guesses. Bile is better than internal bleeding. 

 

Some mess she had to clean up, with bloody blue quills knocked around her carpet, vomit sinking into the fabric. Rouge sighs, finding it hard to be actually annoyed while watching Shadow’s chest steady. Shaky breaths grew longer and quieter. His shoulder line relaxed, body going limp as exhaustion took over. 

 

Hand tentatively raised outward, she pushed him, not hard, just enough to see if he was out or not. Luckily for her, he was. 

 

He’s not particularly heavy, she notes, holding him bridal style. Kicking open her bedroom door before gently laying him down on the lavender sheets. Tugging the comforter over him, and smiling as subconsciously snuggles into the down.

 

“Sleep tight, Shadow.” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Until next time : ) 
> 
> -Asch

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please feel free to ask me any questions or share suggestions. As will most of my fics, this is unbeta'd so I apologize for errors.


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